It is anticipated that the Mavericks will add defensive-oriented former Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina within the next few days, league sources inform Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link).
Stein notes that Dallas had been eyeing Ntilikina even in the 2017 NBA draft lottery, but after the Knicks selected him with the eighth pick, the Mavericks pivoted to Dennis Smith Jr. with the No. 9 selection. Smith, who himself was eventually sent to the Knicks in 2019, recently signed a training camp deal with the Trail Blazers.
During the 2020/21 season, Ntilikina earned $6.2MM in the fourth year of his rookie deal. This year, his deal will most likely be either a non-guaranteed deal or a veteran’s minimum. The Mavericks currently have 14 players on guaranteed deals, with one player – Moses Brown – signed to a non-guaranteed contract and both of their two-way contract spots occupied.
The 6’4″ reserve guard, still just 23, suited up for 33 games with the Knicks last year under head coach Tom Thibodeau. He averaged just 2.7 PPG and 0.9 RPG across 9.8 MPG. A talented defensive player, Ntilikina has yet to develop on the other end of the hardwood. He holds career averages of 5.5 PPG, 2.7 APG and 2.0 RPG.
I didn’t hate him as a draft pick, but I’ve watched a lot of knicks games over the last few years and it doesn’t seem like he has developed much at all. But he is still very young and has high end stopper defensive potential. A lot of contenders may wish they had taken a min contract gamble on him as a 10th -14th man.
Cavs included.
Frank’s confidence was killed. By mismanagement too many coaches. And fact they wanted Phil to look bad about picking him. More politics than actually helping the kid. No 19 yr old should have to put up with that. Luka can help him get his confidence back. Mavs need defense so he’ll help. I know Frank can still be a solid rotation guy. Rooting for him.
Working with Jason Kidd in Dallas can only help this kid career. Remember Kidd wasn’t much of a shooter early in his career.
This kid isn’t much of a dribbler, passer or playmaker, either.
The difference is that Frank can’t do anything well on an NBA court other than defend, and even with that he’s only barely above average.
Can’t shoot, drive, pass, dribble, move without the ball, post, or run the point. Kidd is going to have to make the clay from scratch before he can even begin to mold it.
His shooting form is not terrible, though. If he can at least hit some threes, the defense will play up. And he shot well from deep last year, albeit small sample and low minutes.
His shooting is definitely terrible. Career FG% of 36.6% and 3PT% of 32.8%.
Do not be fooled by his 47.9% from 3 last year because it is a small sample size. He made 23 threes all season. If you remove just three games from his stats (where he went a combined 10-10 from downtown), his 3PT% plummets to 34.2%.
23 and he can qualify for the veteran’s minimum…
Unless he can make more money in the NBA or something, I don’t understand why he doesn’t go overseas. He’s been terrible in the NBA and even if he latches on to the Mavs, I can’t imagine he gets much playing time.
Going overseas and potentially being a starter and actually developing seems like a much smarter play. He didn’t develop one iota on the Knicks, not sure how playing 5 minutes a game on the Mavs is going to help him.
They need defense at the guard position, preferably someone that can play with Luka. Sterling Brown helps them there, but they needed versatile options both at that spot, and on the wing, and they’ll be able to play much better defensive lineups than they’ve had the last couple of years, even after losing Richardson
I agree. I figured there would probably be a team or two interested in taking a flyer, but that he’d opt to go Euro.
And to stay in the NBA for Dallas? Sure, they have Jason Kidd as a “mentor”, but where’s the opportunity for minutes? Luka’s already playing 38 mpg, then they have Brunson, one of the better backup PG’s in the league.
Unless they’re playing Frank off-ball (good luck), I see a lot of DNP-CD’s in his future (again).
If he were to stay in the League I think he’d be better off on a team with poor PG depth, like Orlando or Minnesota, maybe Detroit. Then again, he was passed over for Elfrid Payton last year so…
1 of the teams I mentioned for him, and 1 of the few remaining available pieces I mentioned for them, so good fit. I still think they need another versatile option at the 4. Milsap would have been amazing, but still a couple of guys remaining there. Maybe they could trade a big and/or 1 of their backup shooting PGs to open a spot
If they cut Moses for this guy they are idiots.
I agree!
Kidd likes big guards.
I don’t think the kid can play but, at 23, I do think he’s worth taking a minimum money flyer on.
Funny how it comes full circle… Knicks traded Burke away (to Dallas) because he was completely destroying this kid in practice and outplaying him in games while they had a lot invested in him as their Rd.1 pick. Now they’ll be competing again – one fighting to stay in the league and the other trying to keep his place on the team.
Hopefully it works out for him and the Mavs!